The overloading of an electrical circuit could potentially lead to some extremely serious consequences. Even though it can appear to be common sense, there is a good probability that you have accidentally overloaded a circuit at least once in the past.
The good news is that the majority of modern homes have their electrical systems designed to withstand circuit overloads. Typically, this will cause your circuit breaker to trip, and all you need to do to remedy the problem is switch the breaker back on.
Despite this, not every instance of circuit overload works out as anticipated. It does not make a difference if your house is equipped with a modern circuit breaker or not; you should always make an effort to avoid overloading the circuits by Electrician Inner Northern Suburbs of Brisbane.
But what exactly is the big deal here? Keep reading to learn more about the dangers that come with operating an overloaded circuit, as well as the steps you may take to avoid them.
What exactly is meant by the term “overloaded circuit”?
An overloaded circuit is the outcome of putting an excessive amount of strain on a single circuit by applying an excessive amount of electrical demand to it. For illustration's sake, let's say you're in the kitchen and you decide to use both an air fryer and a toaster oven on the same outlet. It's possible that the circuit will get overloaded.
This particular type of circuit overload is quite easy to avoid; but, even when you believe you are taking precautions, it is still possible for them to occur. The most important thing is to figure out which outlets are connected to the same circuit and then distribute your power-hungry appliances among as many of those circuits as possible.
Issues that arise as a direct result of overloading the circuit
Most people will just experience a short loss of power when a circuit overload occurs, but it is possible for more significant problems to arise. The following is a list of some of the most important dangers that might result from an overloaded circuit:
- Fires
- damaged technology
- improper wiring
- electric shocks
- Electrocution
These issues are still present, despite the fact that they occur far less frequently than they used to. If there is any indication that an overload is going to occur, you should unplug all of your electronic devices and consider moving some of them to a separate circuit.
A Checklist for Identifying Excessive Load on a Circuit
There is a good chance that an overloaded circuit will be evident. In many cases, it will cut off the power supply to a particular room in your home.
Try to verify if the power is out in any of the other rooms to make sure that the issue wasn't caused by a loss of electricity but rather an overload on the circuit. In addition, you can check the electrical panel in your home to see if the switch that controls the area that is giving you problems is in the off position. If this is the case, the circuit has been overloaded, which has caused the breaker to trip.
If you notice any of the following symptoms, which may appear before an overload occurs in its entirety, you should refrain from connecting any additional devices to the circuit:
- lights that are pulsating or fading
- humming or buzzing sounds when you are close to outlets or switches
- The light will become less bright when one of the gadgets is enabled.
Should You Consider Upgrading Your Circuit Breaker?
It's possible that you're not always to blame when a circuit overloads. It goes without saying that you are to blame if you have five pieces of kitchen equipment connected into a single power strip; nevertheless, this is most likely not the situation. If you use your outlets normally but still have frequent power outages, the problem is most likely with your electrical circuits rather than the outlets themselves.
You can get around this by installing a new circuit breaker in the appropriate location. By installing circuit breakers that are of a higher quality, it is possible to improve the flow of electricity throughout your home.
